News

Hicks: Next 'Star Wars' villain rumored to be John Noble

By Tony Hicks

Contra Costa Times

Posted:
02/08/2013 08:57:21 AM PST

Updated:
02/08/2013 09:00:40 AM PST

Because facing three whole years without the "Star Wars" franchise re-launching suddenly sounds like a frighteningly long time, the Internet will explode unless we can keep pulling barely-founded stories about who's going to do what in the new films.

Thursday, a website called io9 -- which might be the name of a robot -- said that John Noble, who plays Walter Bishop on "Fringe," is being considered to be the big villain in "Star Wars: Episode VII." J.J. Abrams is directing the next "Star Wars," and he also created "Fringe," so there's already a connection.

Noble also played Denethor, the crazy Stewart of Gondor in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. So he already has plenty of experience dealing with sci-fi nerds accosting him on the street and asking him to talk in character.